ENEMY CONVOY SMASHED

Southland Times, Issue 25546, 14 December 1944, Page 5

ENEMY CONVOY SMASHED

Japanese Attempt To Land Troops (Rec. 11.5 p.m.) WASHINGTON, December 13. An enemy convoy with a strong fighter escort was intercepted by American planes off the north-west coast of Leyte. Three transports of 10,000, 5000 and 4000 tons respectively, and three escorting destroyers were sunk, one destroyer and two medium sized transports were left dead in water and burning; in addition United States light naval units sank a 5000 ton cargo transport. Enemy troop losses by drowning are believed to be heavy. This is stated in General Douglas MacArthur’s communique. American shipping was also attacked and sustained some damage and casualties. Fifty enemy planes were destroyed in combat and five probably destroyed. The Americans lost eight fighters. AMERICANS IN ORMOC

Ground troops in the Ormoc sector are organizing that base for further operations. The rains continue. The latest Japanese convoy was cut to pieces in a 48-hour sea and air battle, says the Leyte correspondent of The New York Times. A spokesman said that the enemy probably succeeded in landing some men and supplies at Palompon, a secondary port north-west-ward of Ormoc.

The United Press correspondent says it was the ninth Japanese attempt to land reinforcements. The enemy has now lost approximately 35,000 killed or drowned. IWOJIMA ATTACKED

A Pacific Fleet communique says that one bomber attacked the Iwojima airstrip on Saturday and the following day Liberators bombed the same target. Eight'of our planes were damaged by flak, but all returned safely. On Sunday, Navy search planes bombed the harbour installations at Chichijima. Marine fighters bombed and strafed Babelthaup and Marine naval planes bombed Pagan. 74 JAPANESE - ADMIRALS KILLED IN ACTION NEW YORK, December 12. Tokyo radio has announced the death of three more vice-admirals and four rear-admirals, including Vice-Admiral Chiuchi Nagumo, Supreme Commander of the Japanese naval forces, who was killed in action at Saipan in July. The death of a major-general is also announced. These latest deaths made a total of 74 admirals and 18 generals killed since last May. WIDE BRITISH FRONT IN BURMA Steady Allied Advance To Mandalay (8.0.W.) RUGBY, December 12. The British offensive in Burma is proceeding on a front 120 miles wide as the crow flies from the Irrawaddy valley at Katha to the Chindwin valley round Kalewa. This is not a continuous front, either for the British or the Japanese, as there are large sections of jungle and hills which are of little use for the campaign. There are three converging British drives. One is south down the Myitkyin a Mandalay route, the second southeast towards the Mandalay area via the lower Chindwin, which joins the Irrawaddy south-east of Mandalay. A third force advancing from Imphal crossed the Chindwin at Sittaung and Paunbyin and has pushed into the hilly country to the east, from which it will eventually be able to emerge into either the Irrawaddy or the Chindwin valley. All these British troops still have well over 100 miles to go to reach Mandalay, but their advance has been steady for a long time now. Mandalay is the central point of Burma and the focus of all the country’s communications, lying as it does in the midst of thickly-populated plain. BRITISH OFFICER WINS VICTORIA CROSS Award For Gallantry In Burma (8.0.W.) RUGBY, December 12. A British officer, mortally wounded by bullets, silenced a machine-gun post and paved the way for a whole battalion to achieve a decisive victory, states the War Office, announcing the posthumous award of the Victoria Cross to Captain John Randle, Royal Norfolk Regiment. The story is an echo of the Kohima. fighting in Burma. The citation stated that the bravery shown by this officer could not have been surpassed; by selfsacrifice he saved the lives of many of his men and assisted, not only his own company, but the whole battalion to gain the objective and a decisive victory.